


Life's a Beach

by grey2510



Series: Team No Chill [8]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Day At The Beach, Gen, M/M, but coleman's crush on cas sure ain't, the destiel is really in the background
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:35:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25263946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grey2510/pseuds/grey2510
Summary: Sun-bathin' away in MargaritavilleNo demons or ghosts to ward off with saltBaby thinks it's lame and the sand is to blameColeman doesn't care who's at fault
Relationships: Castiel & Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester, Castiel/Dean Winchester, Coleman Cooler & Impala (Supernatural)
Series: Team No Chill [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/801555
Comments: 18
Kudos: 27
Collections: SPNColdestHits





	Life's a Beach

"Uh, Dean?" Sam asks from his usual spot. The confusion in his tone makes Coleman sit up a little straighter. Well, metaphorically: he's a metal cooler with straight sides, currently in the footwell behind the front seat—there's no other way for him to sit. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see," Dean says cryptically, but with a smile in his voice, which does little to pacify Coleman. Dean's idea of fun isn't always the same as everyone else's, though he stocked Coleman up with beers and ice at the last stop for gas, so maybe it'll all be fine.

_Any idea where we are, Baby?_

The car continues to roar along the road, and her engine purrs as if in thought before she answers. _Honestly, I wasn't really paying attention. Definitely heading back towards the coast, though._

 _How can you tell?_ All he can "see" out the windows above him is clear blue sky and the occasional tree, and it's not as if he can read road signs. Even if he could, he'd need Mac—who's currently in the trunk in Sam's duffel—to do that googly map thing and tell them where they are.

_Air seems...saltier. But it's not like road salt. Also it's summer, not winter, so road salt is unlikely._

Coast and a twelve pack on ice? It all makes sense now.

_Oooh. Beach day, Baby!_

Baby's engine grumbles in annoyance. _I hate beach days._

_Oh, c'mon. When was the last time we went to a beach?_

_1993\. I'm pretty sure there's still sand in some crevice of me from that trip._

If Coleman had eyes to roll…

 _Besides,_ Baby continues _, it's not like I get to enjoy the beach, even if I wanted to go to that sandy hellhole. I just bake in the sun in the parking lot._

_You can work on your tan._

_Shut up._

"Are we...are we going to the beach?" Sam wonders a second later.

"Damn straight we are."

"Uhh… Dean. You do realize that we don't have _anything_ for a beach trip, right? Unless this is a nudist beach—and I am _not_ going if it is—"

"Prude."

"—then jeans and flannel are going to be pretty miserable. And you burn just thinking about the sun."

"Oh calm down, Grandma. I even bought some of that organic sunscreen you like, SPF 50. And just wear your jogging shorts or whatever."

Coleman can't see Sam pinch the bridge of his nose, but he can hear it in what he says next. "Tell me you're not going in your boxers. 'Cause unless you've decided to prevent cardiac arrest by cheeseburger by taking up running, I'm doubting you have gym shorts with you…"

"What? What's wrong with my boxers?" 

_I think he left his car-washing shorts in the trunk last time…_ Baby muses.

_Baby, you can't possibly be hoping he wears those monstrosities in public._

_They're just shorts!_

_I'm a cooler and even I know they're an affront to fashion and all things decent in the world._

_You're just jealous._

_No, I'm really, really not._

"Dean…" Sam is saying, pained, when they tune back into the brother's conversation.

"Fine. Cas is meeting us there. He said he's going to bring me swim trunks."

"...You have swim trunks."

"Nah, he said he's going to pick some up for himself on the way, so I told him to grab me a pair."

"...You're going to trust _Cas_ with picking out swim trunks."

This sobers Dean up for a second, before he chuckles and says, "Yeah, how hard could it be? I told him no Speedos."

_Think this is just Dean's excuse to get Cas out of that trench coat and into something a little more...fun?_

_Now you're jealous, Coleman._

_Shut up. No I'm not._

"You just want Cas out of that coat…" Sam mutters, causing, from the sound of things, Dean to choke and nearly spit out the sip of Coke he'd just taken. 

"What? No. That's not. Shut up."

The front seat creaks a bit as Sam leans back, self-satisfied. "I dunno, Dean. If you can't take the heat here, maybe the beach is a bad idea."

"You-You're a bad idea."

"Good one."

Baby's engine groans. _He never learns, does he?_

Not too long later, they're pulling into the parking lot of the beach. Dean opens up the backseat and grabs Coleman and the bag of snacks and sunscreen from the gas station. 

_Laters, Baby!_

_You bring back sand with you, and I'll—_

Whatever her threat is, Coleman misses it as the door slams shut and Dean starts walking towards Cas' car a few spots down. Cas is leaning against the car door, a plastic shopping bag dangling awkwardly from one hand.

"Alright, man. Show us the goods!" Dean says by way of greeting. Behind them, Sam's footsteps eventually catch up, and he appears by Dean's side with an old blanket from the trunk of Baby and a pair of navy blue shorts.

Cas frowns, looking around the parking lot. "I don't think it's wise or socially acceptable to change clothes here."

Coleman's pretty sure Dean gives an epic eye roll at that, and an epically big grin, too. "There's changing stalls over there. I just wanna see what I'm getting into."

Before Cas can reach into the bag, Sam snatches it out of his hand. "Nope. I'll toss it over the stall door. No peeking until then."

Cas narrows his eyes. "Why?"

"Call it a hunch."

"Alright, fine. C'mon, we're burning daylight." Dean marches over to the changing stalls and plunks Coleman down in front of one. He goes inside, closes the door, and starts changing. "C'mon, Sammy. Pass over the trunks."

"Trade you: send over your clothes, I pass you the trunks."

"You're a shitty little brother, you know that, right?" But Dean tosses the clothes over the stall door with good aim and speed, smacking Sam in the face with the jeans.

Not at all fazed, Sam just gathers up the clothes, looks into the bag, and grins. "Which pair is yours?" he asks Cas. Cas reaches in and takes a pair, but Coleman doesn't catch what they look like before he turns away and heads to a vacant stall. Sam tosses the bag over the stall door to Dean.

"Oh goddammit," Dean mutters. Sam's grin widens. 

"C'mon out, Dean."

And so Dean does, just as Cas also emerges from his stall. If Coleman thought the car-washing shorts were an eyesore (not that he has eyes to get sore)…

Dean's shorts are blindingly hot pink with bright green margaritas on them, and Cas' are bright yellow with pink flamingos. Sam looks like he's going to cry with laughter.

"The selection was, um, limited," Cas admits, looking rather unsure of himself in probably less clothing he's ever been in in public.

 _Oh. My. God._ An ice chunk drops inside in Coleman in shock, and he wishes desperately that Baby was here to see this. Because of the swim trunks. Definitely just because of the swim trunks.

Dean smirks at Cas, then juts his chin out in defiance at Sam's howling laughter. He puts his hands on his hips and struts about. "I think I look magnificent. Thank you, Cas."

Cas blinks. "Yes. You're welcome? I wasn't sure…"

"No, these are _perfect_." Dean gives Cas a once-over. "And, uh, _flamingos_ suit you."

They do that awkward staring thing before Sam recovers and says he's going to change now himself. Dean picks up Coleman and announces they'll grab a spot, Sam can meet them there.

Once they're out of earshot of the stalls, Coleman finds himself getting tipped slightly to the side, beers and ice sloshing about a bit, as Dean leans in to say to Cas, "You know I wasn't really talking about the, uh, flamingos, right?"

"I surmised as much," Cas replies in that deadpan way of his that makes Coleman's icy bits shiver.

"Now I wish I'd brought margarita fixin's… Been forever since I've had one."

Hours later, when the beers are done and even Coleman's insulation can't keep the remaining ice from melting a bit, Cas reaches over to fix Dean's mild sunburn (which apparently even Sam's specialty sunscreen doesn't stop), causing them all to agree that it's probably time to pack it in for the day. 

They don't get many of these days and even though a sunny, hot day seems like the exact opposite of what a cooler would want, Coleman is utterly relaxed when they make it back to the parking lot. The brothers and Cas are, too.

_Hey, Baby. Have a good day?_

_It was fine,_ the car mumbles. _Sam better shake out that blanket before it comes anywhere near me…_

 _I'm sure he will,_ Coleman agrees, too chill to get worked up about Baby's hang ups about sand.

"Sammy, brush your feet off before you get in." 

"I _know_ , Dean." 

Dean gets in the car, then pats Baby's dashboard. "Don't worry, girl. You're getting a good clean as soon as we get home, no matter what the giant tracks in here. You've earned it."

If a car can preen, Baby somehow manages it, her engine starting smoothly and with a delighted rumble when Dean turns the ignition. 

_So what do you think, Baby? The trunks an upgrade from the car-washing shorts?_

_They're...adequate._ Baby's "voice" turns sly. _How was ogling Cas all day?_

_Just beachy._

_That was bad, even for you._

Coleman's feeling a little baked (from the sun), so instead of arguing he just doubles down. _Don't be salty._

_Lord. Are you going to make beach jokes from here on out?_

_'Tis the sea-son._

Baby's engine grumbles incoherently as Coleman smugly settles into his footwell, feeling _fin_ tastic. 

Shell yeah.

**Author's Note:**

> Credit to [this site](https://www.elitedaily.com/p/30-beach-puns-for-instagram-captions-that-seas-the-day-7849324) for some excellent puns.
> 
> Written for Coldest Hits:  
> [Here was the prompt and rules for this month!](https://spncoldesthits.tumblr.com/post/619112806949797888/july-2020-prompt-summer-vacation-posting-dates)
> 
> I don't care about winning - comments and kudos appreciated :)  
> 


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